Arts Council England : international collaboration post Brexit

Very shortly after the UK voted to leave the European Union last summer, we asked the arts and culture sector what were the key issues arising from thereferendum result. The responses included concerns about ease of movement, changes in legislation,threats to existing partnerships and networks,removal of funding opportunities and loss of trade. Since this survey, we have been working closely with colleagues in government and various sector bodies to represent the arts and culture sector and to inform the negotiations to leave the EU as theyimpacton arts and cultural organisations and individual practitioners.

These negotiations are a chance to look outwards – to maintain our connections to partners in Europe but also to create new partnerships around the world. As the national development agency for arts, museums and libraries, we support, invest in and promote the people who represent the backbone of our cultural infrastructure and contribute to the future of the England’s dynamic creative economy. Our 10 year strategy – Great Art & Culture For Everyone - makes clear the value we put on international collaboration and exchange; in the talent development of individual creatives; in securing the resilience of our sector through the building of international partnership and trading relations; and in the maintenance of a world class cultural offering for audiences in England.

In order to make sure this happens, we have defined the following approach for Arts Council England in our work over the coming months and years in helping to shape the arts and cultural sector in England post Brexit:

  • Continue to consult with artists and organisations during the Brexit process to ensure their concerns, creative solutions and experience are shared with - and understood by – government. This will include engaging in close consultation with other UK policy bodies – such as the British Council, the BFI and the other UK arts councils – with an interest in our sector. We want to ensure, as far as possible, a consistent and aligned approach in what we all say to both the government and the sector.
  • Maintain an open and productive dialogue with our colleagues in government to demonstrate the impact on artists and cultural organisations in the renegotiated relationship with countries remaining within the EU.
  • Continue to provide information, research and data to the government to ensure that policy decisions are robust and evidence based.
  • Commission and collaborate on bespoke pieces of research to better understand the landscape of EU funding, policy and legislation affecting our sector. We will work with the Government onthe incorporation into UK law of current EU legislation that is of particular relevance to the growth of arts and cultural sector in this country.
  • Ensure that leadinginternational creative talent is readily able to work in this country so that we increase the quality and range of work on offer to UK audiences and assist the development of creative practice withinthis country’s arts and cultural sector. This will require us to work with the sector and government to explore a visa and work permit system that works for the arts and cultural sector
  • Develop proposals for investment in cultural exchange and collaboration across the world. We believe that the initial focus should be on Europe, North America and East Asia because this is where our research tells us that English arts and cultural organisations are currently most active.We will work with the governmentto review how money currently invested by the UK in EU programmes such as Creative Europe could remain available to the UK arts and cultural sector post-Brexit to support international collaboration
  • Develop proposals for the support of networking and partnership-building by the UK arts and cultural sector across borders, in Europe and beyond
  • Develop proposals around maintaining tariff-free access to the EU market for cultural exports.

Throughout our work on this issue, we will continue to listento the sector. We asked you very early on how the changes in our relationship with the EU would affect you, but this is a fast moving and constantly evolving process. We will continue to engage with artists and cultural organisations to developpositive opportunitiesin a post-Brexit world, in Europe and beyond.

We do not believe that the referendum result should be interpreted as the British people wishing to turn its back on the world. We remain determined that the arts and cultural sector in this country will remain dynamic and open to the world and that international partnerships will continue to underpin the sector’s future growth.